Today we’d like to introduce you to Natasha Bowers.
Hi Natasha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Sheesh, where do I begin with that one haha. I am an artist; I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Each drawing I made was to tell a story, big or small. At nine years old, I decided to create comic books and animations for my career. Keeping that goal at the core of what I pursued, I went on to take art and filmmaking classes in middle school. When I wasn’t drawing all over my math notes, I wrote and developed my characters. I even made over 100 homemade “comics” on stapled-together printer paper! In high school, I shifted gears a bit, focusing more on my storytelling and drawing skills. Eventually, I became president of the National Arts Honors Society during my senior year. After high school, I immediately jumped into pursuing my Associate of Arts degree from Montgomery College. From there, I transferred my credits toward my Bachelor of Arts in Illustration at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). I just graduated in December 2023 and held a Senior exhibition for my thesis comic Zeraya in May 2024. Now I’ve been honing my portfolio while looking for work. All in all, I am very blessed to be where I am today.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Throughout my journey, financial instability has been the biggest challenge for me to work around. I often found myself making the most out of what I could afford, even if it wasn’t as up-to-date or “professional standard” as my peers. Navigating through the COVID-19 quarantine and a post-quarantine world also had its challenges, particularly with attending classes and building connections with people. Witnessing as an adult how systemic issues such as racism and misogyny impact my education and job prospects made it difficult to adjust to life post-graduation. Despite all this, I keep pushing forward because I know I didn’t come this far just to get this far.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an illustrator, animator, and storyteller. I love making comics, especially those with superheroes, science fiction or urban fantasy elements. I am most proud of my thesis comic, Zeraya. It is about a kindhearted girl with developing powers who finally meets her estranged mother–only to learn she is the ruthless leader of a superpowered street gang. My desire to center black and minority voices in my stories sets me apart in an industry that white men dominate.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Honestly, I don’t think luck played much of a role compared to persistence and timing. As mentioned before, I am thankful for how far I’ve come and the people who’ve supported me in my journey. I know that if I hadn’t attended college when I did, or had given up at any point along the way, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. Things aren’t perfect, and that’s ok. I know I have people I can count on, and my own skills to carry me forward, come what may. I’ll just keep pushing forward and not lose hope.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://natashabowersart.wordpress.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jungleinx/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jungleinx/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JungleInx
- Other: https://cara.app/jungleinx
